Soumik Das (Pic via Facebook)A Hindu assistant professor at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Durgapur, Soumik Das, has alleged that his in-laws have kidnapped his Muslim wife, Sahanara Khatun, and are forcing her to stay at their home, reports The Hindustan Times.
Khatun herself teaches at a women’s college in Dumdum. The couple had tied the knot under the Special Marriage Act on 23 July but Khatun’s parents were pressurising Das to either divorce her or convert to Islam, and he was unwilling to choose either of these options.
In a bid to free her, he has sought the aid of the police, as well as a Hindutva group called Singha Bahini.
The police have registered a complaint and was able to reach out to Khatoon.
“She is at her parent’s house. When we contacted her, she told us she would tell a court whatever she had to say,” said officer-in-charge of Durgapur police station, Goutam Talukdar.
Das has also approached the Singha Bahini because the group is known to have previously helped inter-faith couples in a similar situation.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.